The Dec. 14 meeting of the Fluvanna County School Board was a time to recognize a plethora of students for their achievements and to bid farewell to two board members. It was a time to look back at what has been accomplished so far, but also to look ahead at the successes yet to come.

At the beginning of the meeting, Central Elementary Principal Amy Barnabei presented a musical performance by third-graders from her school. Led by music teacher Cheryl Daidone, the students sang “One Nation,” a song about tolerance for other cultures.

“One way of showing citizenship is to give back to the community,” Daidone said.

Shelter for Help in Emergency, a Charlottesville-based organization that helps victims of domestic violence, sponsored an art contest. Students were asked to illustrate the sentence: “Peace on Earth begins at home.” Second-graders from Cunningham Elementary swept away the competition, taking the top three spots. First place went to Justine Rodriguez, second place went to Veronica Kuzdzal and third place went to Lakin Burke.

Fluvanna County High School athletes were recognized for their outstanding achievements. Principal James Barlow and Athletic Director D. Scott Morris were on hand to give out the awards. Two runners from the Boys Cross Country Team, Chris Markham and Travis Moe, participated in the regional competition. Markham progressed to the state championship. The 24-member Girls Cross Country Team became the district champions.

The Flucos football team had several players make it to All-District teams. Yaviel “Ya Ya” Anderson (Wide Receiver), Devin Goode (Linebacker), Ben Lacey (Defensive End, Offensive Lineman), Taylor Lintecum (Linebacker, Tight End), Dale Ludwig (Kicker), and Logan Walls (Running Back) were all selected.

FCHS drama student Katie Wilson received an award for Best Actress. Wilson is serving as a student liaison for the Fluvanna County School Board.

Two members of the Girls’ Volleyball Team were chosen for All-District Teams. Sammi Toy was selected for the Second Team All-District, while Hannah Miller was selected for the First Team. Miller also made it to the First Team All-Region and was named Player of the Year for the Jefferson District.

The final awards of the evening were presented to Palmyra District representative Tom Muir and Rivanna District representative Barbara Gibbons. The Dec. 14 meeting was the final meeting for the two members. Muir has reached the end of his term and redistricting has caused Gibbons’ position to be eliminated.
Brian Phillips, representative for the Rivanna District, thanked Muir for his years of service. 

“You’ve got 30 solid years of teaching. We cannot replace that,” Phillips said. “You’ve made the Flucos very proud ... and I want to thank you for being a mentor, as well.”

Muir expressed his gratitude to his fellow board members and the residents of Fluvanna County.

“It has been an honor and a privilege to serve on this board and teach in this community. These are wonderful people in this community. We’re doing a lot to try and improve. Thank you for the privilege to serve. I’m honored,” he said.

Gibbons fought back tears as she reflected on her time spent on the school board. 

She said, “I’m proud to work with all of you. We have a staff that is dedicated ... not just caring, but loving. They love your children, they love my children and they love the community. I don’t know if we really appreciate that. We’ve worked hard. We’ve have a very hard job. I’d like to say that we’ve had huge student successes. Every part of this is a journey. There’s always going to be things that aren’t perfect. Knowing what’s not perfect is just as important as knowing what is.”